Evoking the book The Things They Carried to a slight degree in the title, I have found a lot of comfort in carrying / displaying small items that represent the ideal/ energy/ medicine of this WLS journey.

I realize that my perspective and framework may not align with everyone, but with multiple conversations with some folks who are going through this I was encouraged to share what has brought me comfort, joy, and hope during an often scary process - at least for me.

Whether it was at a time when the dotcom industry placed an undue economic stress on millions of folks back in year 2000'ish (myself included) during a major crash, causing many of us to reinvent ourselves and our careers, or whether we are faced with interesting new challenges such as WLS where we engage the path before our feet with a measure of hope and grace, I have found that I my sanity and success required that I surround myself with representations of "intention" to lend spirit to the path before me.

For example, when I found myself looking for work for over a year when about 20,000 other IT professionals were saturating the job market, It was easy to become depressed and anxious. So during that particular journey, I bought myself a new plant for the office I "intended/ expected". I took much care choosing, feeding and watering this plant. Focusing the positive aspects of the journey (the outcome), allowing myself to embrace peace during the obvious ocean of unknown before me. I would later land my dream job, and realized that I had it within my power to engage that proverbial boat ride with anxiety, or with peace. The ride and outcome would happen, but the emotional responses (ones that particularly aid or thwart physical and emotional healing) were completely in my power to control.

With the pending WLS I will be having soon, I found myself surrendering to the dreams and emotional choices I had within myself to engage and build a relationship with. This brought about a series of powerful dreams for me. Granted, the way I am hardwired, I tend to relate to the world in the realm of totemic connections and metaphors that come through by way of nature.

I had a dream of butterflies that presented itself in the form of a tornado. Beautiful, golden colors. The next day I received an envelope with two butterflies of the same color, so I cut them out and placed them in my medicine bag that I wear around my neck. I also received a magazine with the same color butterflies on the cover. Coincidence? Perhaps. However, this brings me to the point of finding power for ourselves by using such things as synchronicity or any other thing(s) that we are able to construct for ourselves to lend power to our footsteps.

In this particular case, I now keep a framed picture of a butterfly above my desk to represent the ideals of reinvention and rebirth, directly related to this process we are all going through. It projects in my heart and mind the beautiful new me that is within reach now. I look at it whenever the process gets scary, or filled with doubt. I expect I will find peace in viewing its message when I am struggling with reinventing the way I speak, the way I eat, the way I exercise...

I share this in hopes that we are all able to find tangible ways to redirect our anxieties and to create pathways of bliss for us as we rise to our full potential.

It is within our power to succeed with the tools given to us by way of WLS. Having a representation that we can look at and "remember" can help us when we are struggling and, ultimately, succeeding with the physical and emotional changes involved with practicing new eating and exercising regimens, and with learning to relate to the world via a brand new mirror.

Edited May 6, 201412 yr by cryss

Whatever works for ya, baby. Good luck!

Wow!!! Your thoughts & plans are beautiful and inspirational! You will succeed in this process, and inspire many others along the way, I'm certain! Blessings to you!

cryss,

Thank you! What a fantastic idea. I find it fascinating how small things can be utilized to create large successes.

I hope and pray you have an easy surgery and an even easier recovery.

Blessings,

Kathleen